Method of assembling receptacle closure caps



Aug. 8, 1939. J. A. JOHNSON METHOD OF ASSEMBLING RECEP'I'AQLE CLOSURECAPS a" I TIIIIIIIIIWII'IIAVIJ'III- INVENTOR AA/OHNSON ATTORNEY PatentedAug. 1 939 METHOD OF ASSEMBLING RECEPTACLE CLOSURE CAPS John A. Johnson,Woodhavcn, N. Y; o Application February 1, 1937, Serial No. 123,508

' Claims. (01. 113-30) This invention relates to assembling receptacleclosure caps of the; type known as Crown caps with a sealing pad ofyielding material, such as cork or cork composition, having secured 5 toits exposed face a center spot of suitable nonabsorbent, gas imperviousand acid resistant material, such as metallic foil or paper having acoating of varnish on one surface, and of sufficientsize to protect thesealing pad from the deleterious action of the-acid and gas of thecontents of the receptacles to which the closure caps are applied.

It is an object of this invention to providean improved method ofassembling spotted sealing 5 pads in closure caps which will assure anintimate bonding of the spots to the sealingv pads ,and the sealing padsin the closure caps at a highspeed of production. 1

It has hereto been the practice to assemble and ,adhesively secure thesealing pads in the closure caps, and later, after the adhesive securingthe sealing padsto the closure capshas hardened and set, applying andadhesively securing .the

spots to, the exposed surface of the pads assem- 28 bled in the closurecaps by heat and pressure.

The heat and pressure used in securing or bonding the spots to thesealing pads will affect and loosen the adhesive bond between thesealing pads'and the closure caps, and permit the sealing pads with thecenter spots attached thereto to leave the closure caps before the capsare applied to the receptacles.

It is another object of the invention to overcome this disadvantage ofthe present practice 86 of assembling spotted sealing pads in closurecaps by simultaneously or in continuous sequence adhesively unitingspots to sealing pads and adhesively uniting the sealing pads havingcenter spots assembled-thereon to the closure caps. 40 In the drawingaccompanying and forming a part of this application Figure 1 is a planview of means for carrying out the method forming the embodiment of thisinvention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the means shown in Figure 1 taken on theline 2-2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of themeans shown in Figure 1 taken on theline 3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a sectional 'view or modified means for carrying out theinvention wherein a sealing pad simultaneously or in successive sequencewith s; the applying" o1 a spot to a sealing pad is as-- sembled in'aclosure cap, and showing the parts in normal position; and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the parts in positionafter the spot'has been applied to a sealing pad and the sealing pad as-5 sembled in a closure cap. p

In carrying out the invention in accordance with the embodimentillustrated in Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, closure caps C of the crowntype having deposited therein an adhesive non-vis- 10 cous at normal orroom temperature and adapted to'be rendered viscous and tacky by anelevated temperature, are supported at the marginal portions andtransported or conveyed in a linear or circular path andmaintained inpredeter- 15 mined spaced relation by suitable means, not shown, withthe tops oiihe closure caps lowermost below a pair of spaced members 4'shown as disposed at opposite marginal portions of the flared skirts ofthe closure caps to maintain the,20 closure caps in flat condition onthe closure cap transporting or conveying means. The'closure caps aretransported inthe direction as shown I by the arrow in Figure 1 througha zone of elevated temperature produced by suitable means and shown as agas burner 5 having the'gas discharge orifices positioned below anddisposed relative to the pathof travel of the closure caps to direct thegas flame against the tops of.'the closure caps and render the adhesivein the closure-caps viscous and tacky, as shown at the left of Figure 2.

Simultaneously with the transporting of the closure caps, sealing pads Pformed of comminuted cork bonded together in a compressed mass bysuitable-bonding material, or of solid cork,-

.are transported along a flat support 6 by suitable means, not shown,which maintain the pads in spaced relation to each other and feed thesealing pads in a direction to intersect the path 40 of travel of andaline the sealing pads in superposed relation to the closure caps asindicated by the arrow in Figure 1. The support 6 extends in a directiontransversely of and over the path of travel of the closure caps, asshown in Figures 1 and 3. The sealing pads are passed through a zone ofelevated temperature spaced from the path of travel of the closure capsand produced by suitable means shown as being an electric heatingelement I of suitable design ex tending above andv in spaced relationtothe travel of the sealing pads on the support 6.

The sealing pads are heated to render viscous and tacky an adhesivesurface of spots S of nonabsorbent, gas impervious and acid resistantmaf terial, such as tin or aluminum foil, or varnished paper, adapted tobe contacted with the sealing pads. The spots 8 are severed from acomposite web W having one surface coated with an adhesive non-viscousand non-tacky at normal or room temperature and adapted to be renderedviscous and tacky when subjected to an elevated temperature, and theother surface comprising a metallic foil or paperhaving a varnish coatedsurface, and which composite web may be formed by the method andapparatus disclosed in my Patents No. 1,949,419 and No. 1,949,420 issuedMarch 6, 1934. The composite web W is fed from a roll, not shown, inspaced relation above and to intersect the travel of the sealing pads,and shown as being fed in the same direction as the travel of theclosure caps, but said direction.

of travel of the composite web may be in the opposite direction withoutail'ecting the method of assembling. The composite web W is fed fromtheroll in a horizontal plane with the adhesive surface lowermost bysuitable means, shown as a pair of feed rollers 8, relative to a die 9arranged in a plate l6 mounted in spaced relation to the upper surfaceof the support 6 and adjacent the heating element 1, and a punch I.reciprocatory relative to the die and co-operating therewith to sever adisk or spot S from the web and position said severed spot centrally ofa heated pad P which has been advanced from the heating element, withthe adhesive surface of the severed spot in contact with the heated pad.The heat of the pad will render said ad hesiv'e surface viscous andtacky and the pressure of the punch will eflect adhesion between thespot and pad. The web is positioned and guided centrally of the punchand the die to asv sure the severing of a spot from the web by a plateii of channel form in cross section mounted on the die plate It andhaving an opening I! therein slightly larger than and in line with thepunch and die.

The spots S are of a diameter less than the diameter of the sealing padsbut of suilicient area to completely cover that portion of the face ofthe sealing pads which will be exposed to the deleterious action of thecontents of the receptacles to which the closure caps are adaptedto beapplied. The sealing pads having the protective spots bonded to the facethereof in the manner hereinbei'ore described may be stacked in amagazine and stored in such condition until required for assembling inthe closure caps C, and to intimately unite the spots to the sealingpads until such requirement arises, a pad having a spot adhering theretois advanced along the support 8 from the die 9 to position relative to aplunger l3 reciprocatory toward and away from said pad and spot andarranged with an electric heating element ll to heat said plunger to asumciently high temperature whereby heat and pressure is applied tothepad and spot when-the plunger engages the spot to eflect intimateadhesion between the spot and pad, the plunger being oi a diameter toengage only the spot-and prevent the scorching of the pad. The plungerI3 isguided toengage centrallytof the spot by an opening IS in anextension of the die plate ii.

To assemble sealing pads with spots assembled thereon in the closurecapsthe sealing pads with spots assembled thereon are transported onthesupport 8 from the spot severing plunger ll to and in registry with atapered opening l1 in the support i in alinementwith the travel of theclosure caps. and relative to which opening ll and an opening IS in theplate I a plunger I is reciprocated to engage the sealing pad with thespot thereon and position the same in a closure cap with the pad incontact with the viscous and tacky adhesive in said closurecap. Thesupport 6 and plate ii are located adjacent the burner 5' so that theadhesive in the closure caps is fully viscous. The bonded spot and padmay be subjected to heat and pressure to effect intimate adhesionbetween the spot and pad prior to assembling in the closure cap bypresenting the spot assembled on a pad to the heated plunger l3 prior tothe assembling of said pad in the closure cap by the plunger I9, butthis is not necessary as the pressure of the plunger I! and the heat ofthe pad and closure cap will effect an intimate adhesion between thespot and pad. Instead of transporting the sealing pads with spotsassembled thereon on the support 8 and positioning said sealing pads inregistry with the opening H in said support and assembling the sealingpads with spots assembled thereon in closure caps transported relativeto the opening ll in the support 6 by the plunger IS, the heated closurecaps may be transported parallelly of the direction of travel of andbelow the web W and to intersect the support 6, as shown in Figures 4and 5, or they may be transported parallelly of and'below the support 6.In either case, the support 6 is provided with the opening II inregistry with the die opening 9 in plate I6, whereby when a spot issevered from the web W and applied to a sealing pad, the sealing padsimultaneously or successively with the severing of the spot from theweb and applying of the severed spot to the sealing pad, is assembled bythe punch ill in a closure cap transported relative to and positioned inregistry with said opening I'I in the support 6 and the die opening 9 inplate l6, as shown in Figure 5.

To assure an intimate adhesion between'the spot and pad and the pad andclosure cap, the

closure cap having the composite spot and pad assembled therein istransported from the punch III, or the plunger i9, to means to applyheat and pressure which may be in the form of a heated plunger 20reciprocatory mounted adjacent to the plunger I9 and may comprise anelectrically heated plunger similar to the plunger i3. After in Figure2. It may be desirable to omit theheated plunger 20, as the closure capmaybe heated to such a degree to emit suflicient heat to transmit thesame to the union between the spots and pads. v

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

' 1. The method oi assembling closure caps with a sealing pad having acenter spot on its exposed face, which comprises providing closurecapshaving an adhesive therein, heating sealing pads, applying a spot havingan adhesive surface nonviscous at normal temperature and adaptedto berendered viscous when subjected to anelevated temperature centrally ofandwith the adhesive surface thereof in contact with a heated pad, theheat or thepad rendering the adhesive surface viscous and causing thespot to adhere to the pad, and assembling the heated pad with the spotapplied thereto in a closure cap with the pad I spots from the incontact with'the adhesive in said closurecap to secure the pad and spottothe closure cap. I

assembling closure caps with ing the composite spot and pad to heat andI pressure to effect an intimate adhesion between the spot and pad, andthen assembling the heated composite spot and pad in a closure cap withthe pad in contact with the adhesive in said closure cap to secure the"composite spot and pad in the closure cap.

3. The method of assembling closure caps witha sealing pad having acenter spot on its exposed face, which comprises providing closure capshaving adhesive non-viscous at normal temperature deposited therein,heating sealing pads, feeding a web 'of spot material having an adhesivesurface non-viscous at normal temperature relative to the heated sealingpads with the adhesive surface facing said heated sealing pads, severingweb and applying the spots as they are severed from the web to theheated pads with the adhesive surface in contact with the heated padstorender said surface viscous and attach the spots to the sealing pads,heating the closure caps to render the adhesive therein viscous, andassembling the heated sealing pads with spots app ed thereto in theheated closure caps with the sealing pads in contact with the viscousadhesive in the closure caps.

4. The met a sealing pad having a center spot on its exposed hesive inthe closure caps,

od of assembling closure caps with relative to the heated sealing padswith'the. ad hesive surface facing said heated sealing pads, severingspots from the web andv applying the spots as they are severed 'from theweb centrally of the heated. pads with the adhesive surface in contactwith the heated sealing pads'to render viscous the adhesive surface andattach the spots to the sealing pads, subjecting the attached spots andsealing pads to heat and pressure to effect an intimate adhesion betweenthe spots and sealing"pads, assembling the heated sealing pads havingspots centrally thereon in closure caps with the sealing pads in contactwith the adand placing the assembled closure caps under heat andpressure to effect an intimate adhesion between the sealing pads and theclosure caps.

5. The method of assembling closure caps with a sealing pad having acenter spot on its exposed face, which comprises providing closure capshaving an adhesive non-viscous at normal temperature therein, sealingpads and a web of spot material having an adhesive surface non-viscousat normal temperature, transporting the closure caps through a zone ofelevated temperature to render the adhesive therein viscous,transporting the sealing pads through a zone having an elevatedtemperature and to intersect the travel of the closure caps, feeding theweb of spot material transversely above the travel of the sealing padswith the adhesive surface facing the heated sealing pads, severing spotsfrom the web and applying the severed spots to the heated pads with, theadhesive surface in contact with the heated pads, assembling theheated'sealing and the spots applied thereto-in the heated closure capswith the sealing pads in contact-with the viscous adhesive in saidclosure 8-98, nd

placing the'assembled closure caps under pressure to effect an intimateadhesion between the spots P ds

